The Dark Mile Remastered
by Amase
Summary: A remake of my old story. The destruction of the Pridelands has forced the new king Simba and his pride to find the Land of Kings. Will they succeed?


Simba jumped down the large slopes of Pride Rock, careful not to slip from the oncoming rain. He joined the lionesses, who immediately crowded him and congratulated him for finally assuming the position Scar had stolen from him long ago. The battle had been hard and long, but in the end, through all the blood, sweat, and tears, it seemed that the hardships endured over the years had been avenged by the assumption of the rightful King. Sarabi walked up to her son and brushed away at his mane, covering his sparkling eyes.

"I still can't believe it's you," she whispered to him. "I've missed you so much."

The young lion wrapped his paw around her, and embraced her. "I've missed you too mom."

The crowd finally began to break down, and all the lions ran for the cave to escape the rain that barreled down on them. Zazu flew up, and found a perch on Simba's left shoulder. Simba smiled with pride, knowing that Zazu was now subject to his own demand. This is when Simba could finally give that dodo an order. He'd been waiting way too long for this.

"Zazu, go take roll and inform me of any missing lionesses."

"Of course Sire!" the bird saluted, and flew to the cave.

Simba then began to make his way to the cave. He was stopped suddenly by loud cackling. His pressed his eyelids shut as the hideous cries rang through his ears. The hyenas. Simba swallowed hard as he listened to their fighting, their fighting over the crumpled body of their former master, Scar. He snuck over to catch a glimpse, and caught Shenzi and Ed fighting over what looked to be Scar's intestines. Simba's eyes widened, and he turned, and threw up in a near bush. He'd seen things like this before, but seeing his Uncle's inner body exposed was too much. He turned again to the hyenas, and let loose a hideous roar.

"RAVENOUS BARBARIANS! LEAVE THESE LANDS NOW! I BANISH YOU! IF YOU RETURN, I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

The hyenas quickly scattered for the Elephant graveyard as Simba charged at them, his teeth bared. He roared the loudest he ever had in his life, and watched them scatter into the old graveyard. Simba breathed heavily, and then looked down at his uncle's remains. His head was untouched, and his eyes were closed, showing that he had shut his eyes as they charged him. Simba's jaw trembled as he saw his uncle's petrified body lying there, huddled in a ball as they attacked him. The young lion fell to the ground and wept, wept for his uncle, and wept for the foolishness and barbarity that had killed him. He felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder, and looked up to see the mandrill shaman Rafiki.

"It was not your fault lad," the baboon said consolingly. "It was his own greed and anger dat killed him. You gave him a chance, and he didn't take it."

Simba merely nodded his head.

Rafiki could still see Simba's pain. "I will take care of Scar's remains and have him buried in the royal cemetery. Go and sleep your Highness. You are tired."

Simba nodded again, and turned to leave. He then walked into the cave where the lionesses were lying down and whispering. They all immediately turned to see their drenched King. Nala immediately trotted over, and led him to his sleeping spot. Simba shook himself dry, then lied down, curling himself up for warmth. Zazu then immediately flew to Simba.

"Everyone is here and accounted for Sire."

"Thank you Zazu," Simba said looking at him. "That will do."

Zazu nodded his feathered head and flew to a cozy little spot in the corner of the cave.

Simba then closed his eyes and yawned loudly. Just as he was falling asleep, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Timon stood there shivering. Pumbaa stood behind him, breathing heavily like he always did.

"Ummmmm... Simba? Uhhhhhhhh...where can we uh... you know... sleep around here? Cause uh... the lionesses are staring at us kinda funny ya know?" Timon gulped.

Simba sighed and looked up at the lionesses frustratingly. "Alright nobody touches these two understand? They are my friends and will receive proper respect. They are not for eating!"

The other lionesses nodded, some reluctantly, and everyone fell asleep to the rain thudding outside the cave and upon the lands. Nala padded up to Simba and curled up alongside him. He smiled and licked her cheek. Before long, they fell into a comforting, rewarding sleep, knowing well that at last the fight was over.

Simba awoke early the next morning to find that the rain had ceased. He walked out the cave entrance, and stretched to and fro, shaking his mane as he did so. As he padded outside onto the promontory of Pride Rock, his paws splashed in the puddles. He slowly ascended, then gasped in horror at the realization. The sight overtook him.

Dark clouds still loomed over the land, and dead trees stood crookedly upon dry and dead grass. Old carcasses and skeletons from the hyenas' numerous meals caked the savanna, and black dust and soot soiled Pride Rock and the land. The waterholes were dried up, and the creeks were merely a memory. Everything was dead or dying. A single tear ran down Simba's muzzle as he stared in awe at what had once been his home. What had once been his father's fertile, green land was now a barren, desert wasteland. Not a single animal was left in the kingdom. At least not alive.

Nala walked out of the cave and sat next to her king. Simba noticing her presence, tried hiding his face as not to show her he'd been crying. But Nala was not easily fooled. She nuzzled her head under his in a sign of affection. He welcomed it, and his tears swelled in his eyes once more. Nala always seemed to know when he was bothered.

"Nala..." Simba began. "Look at it...it's nothing but a graveyard."

Nala just shook her head, closed her eyes, and let a tear stream down her muzzle. "It brings nothing but sadness to me. What should be a memory of happiness and life, only brings back hatred, pain, and greed."

Simba looked at her, his muzzle wet with tears. He had not realized how much had happened to Nala since he had left. It made him regret ever leaving or turning his back on them.

"My mother died on the plains when I was a cub. I had to grow up without a mother. And at the paws of such a monster, it's a miracle I'm alive," she whispered.

Simba put a consoling paw around her, and she laid her head upon his majestic mane, and they stared into the wasteland, and opened up their memories of the pain and greed that transformed it.

The sun reached the middle of the sky, and Simba called a gathering with the lionesses. A royal council had not been held on Pride Rock since Mufasa's death, and Simba knew it was time that one went underway. They needed a plan. Simba sat on a large stone inside the cave, and everyone below him. He took a deep breath, and began.

"I apologize to all of you for my reluctance and refusal to return here as your King. I could not see through my troubled mind. As a result of my stubbornness, the Pride Lands were destroyed and damaged, and made uninhabitable."

The lionesses nodded, but forgave their King with smiles, and words of encouragement. Simba smiled at his subjects, and felt his strength grow knowing he had full support.

"My first line of duty as your King is to select your Queen and hunting leader, considering the old queen was banished with the rest of Scar's followers. As of now, I have decided."

The lionesses spoke quietly among one another, and looked up at Simba eagerly. Though most knew who the queen would be, they waited expectantly.

Simba smiled. "You new Queen is Nala, daughter of Sarafina."

Nala smiled at Simba and he nodded towards her to come and join him on the rock . She walked up, nuzzled him, and sat down. She surveyed her new subjects, and looked tenderly at her King and mate.

"The next order of business," Simba began again. "Is to discuss what to do about our home. The Pridelands like I said, are uninhabitable. There is no food and no water. There is absolutely no way that we could survive here, even if we tried. Scar should have taken you from here long ago, but he did not. It is with a heavy heart that I announce this to you, but I have no choice. We must leave the Pridelands."

The lionesses looked in awe at him, and shook their heads. Nala said nothing, for he had spoken with her earlier. They looked with fearful glances, for most had never lived anywhere else. Most were born there and died there. It was a chilling thought to most, but the only choice they had if they wanted to survive.

"My father once spoke to me of a distant land preserved for us, in case we should leave for any reason. Every King has been told of this land by their father before him. It is not spoken of, for it is feared that it could fall into the wrong hands."

The lionesses murmured amongst eachother for a moment, not quite sure what Simba was talking to them about.

"Yes..." Sarabi whispered. "Your father spoke to me of this! We must follow the North Star. It is said that the Great Kings of the past are in that star, and that by following it, we will find the land from which we can live upon until Pride Rock becomes fertile again."

"That's the land I speak of," said Simba. "My father called it the Land of Kings, for it was preserved by King Maphunde in the time of the first drought. He told his son Mohatu of it, who told his son Ahadi of it, who in turn told my father Mufasa of. We must follow the North Star and find this land. If we do not, we will not survive."

Everyone nodded their heads, but their eyes were cast to the ground. There was never a time when the Pride had to leave the lands they were born in, but all knew that it was a critical situation.

"Very good then," Simba said to them. "We will leave at dusk."

Throughout the course of the day, the lionesses remained within the perimeter, readying themselves for the long journey. They slept to regain their strength, and the most fit of the lionesses went on the hunt for field mice to feed the older and sickly ones.

Simba remained in Pride Rock, carefully surveying the stone markings inside the cave. They were beautiful. Over the years of the Kings, different images were hewn into the rock displaying different events. When Maphunde, the first Lion King was first crowned, the Great Drought in the time of Mohatu, the birth of Ahadi's sons Mufasa and Taka, and so many more. As Simba ran a paw down the images, he came to another marking. A rusty colored lion ascending to power with the golden mark above his head. Scar's coronation. Simba sighed, sadly shaking his head. But as he looked onward, he noticed something else. He saw what looked to be Scar, but with another lion next to him. Simba narrowed his eyes as he observed the other lion. This one was smaller, but bore much more muscle than Scar. Filled with curiosity, Simba ran a paw over it. Who was that lion?

Suddenly, Sarabi entered the cave and smiled at Simba. Simba looked at her and gave a small smile.

"It's time Simba," Sarabi said from the mouth of the cave. "Everyone is waiting for your command."

Simba sighed deeply. He could never get used to this. Everything was under his jurisdiction and command, and did nothing otherwise. Being a King was something Simba felt that no one could ever get used to, but he didn't want to tell anyone that. He looked up at his mother and nodded. He then followed her out of the cave, and down the slopes of Pride Rock, where the Pride waited anxiously for him.

Looking down on them with a confident smile, the young King gave a slight nod. "Let's depart, my family."

As they slowly treaded off the Pridelands, Simba looked one final time at Pride Rock, shining mournfully in the distance. Behind the great stone, Simba could still make out the royal graveyard, and the small stone etched with his father's insignia. Shedding one solemn tear, Simba turned his head from his home, and looked up at the north star. And at last, the Pride treaded off the boundaries, into the emptiness and towards the forbidden secret that no one had the strength to imagine.


End file.
